


Stardust Skin

by galixr



Series: Skin Deep [2]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alien Culture, Alien Mythology/Religion, Alien Planet, F/M, Fluff, Goddesses, Light Angst, Mental Health Issues, Original Character(s), Scars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-22
Updated: 2016-05-22
Packaged: 2018-06-09 23:00:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6927682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galixr/pseuds/galixr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Deep in the jungle of Asteria, the Doctor gives Rose a reason to love her flaws.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stardust Skin

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all. I'm using the timepetals prompt "Scars" to raise awareness for a mental illness that I have to fortune to be afflicted with. It's called Dermatillomania, a bit more commonly known as Skin Excretion Disorder. In short it applies to people who pick and pull at their skin to cause blemishes and damage. Often it leads to permanent scaring and is a great source of insecurity to me. 
> 
> In my little au, I gave this to Rose Tyler, one of the strongest female characters I have come to love. Her scars spread up the skin of her chest and back, giving her problems with intimacy and great insecurity about her looks. I connect to her so deeply and I feel like I wrote this maybe to feel proud of my scars and love them. I wanted to write something that romanticized something people often overlook as ugly when in reality, it's beautiful. 
> 
> Special thanks to [The-Marvelous-JollyRoger](http://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Marvelous_JollyRoger) for basically prompting me. You're brilliant and your ideas are so creative. Everyone who's a Captain Swan fan should immediately check out her Agent and the Art Thief series.

> _Dermatillomania - the repetitive picking at one's own skin to the extent of causing damage, commonly known as skin excretion disorder_

When Rose emerged from her room in the morning, she wore nothing but pajama shorts and a tank top. The TARDIS was awakening as well, the halls emitting a soft glow that reflected off her scars like a blush colored nebula. She leaned to against the wall and listened to the time machine hum to life. 

The Doctor was still dead asleep in her room, his snores echoing in her ears. The night previous he'd fallen right asleep. The first time they slept in the same bed, and they hadn't even got to enjoy it. Though, waking up to the Doctor's peaceful face on the pillow beside her seemed like something straight out of a daydream. 

Rose began to pad towards the kitchen, shivering as the cold air amid the ship stung her exposed skin. She had always hated the cold, it made the red marks on her back look angrier than they already were. Her mind offered a picture of the Doctor's fingers brushing her imperfections and the brief moment of self hate was snuffed.

She stuck her hand into the shallow pocket of her shorts. Hands fished around for her mobile. Rose punched at the buttons and held it to her ear.

"Rose Tyler, have you any idea what time it is?" Jacqueline Tyler's voice yelled over the line. 

"No actually," she retorted, her tongue poking from her smile. 

"Well, it's one in the bleedin' morning! Why are you calling?" 

Rose could see her now, in her fuzzy pink slippers, just shaking the sleep from her eyes. 

"I'd just thought I'd ring you. The Doctor's asleep," she paused before adding the last bit, "in my bed." 

Jackie's gasp could be heard from galaxies away. "Rose Marion Tyler," she said, her tone making Rose dread the bonkering she was about to get. "You slept with him!?"

She scoffed and walked through the kitchen doors. "No, mum, not in that type of way. We aren't like that."

"So, what? Are you two... together?" 

Rose put the kettle on the stove, letting a moment of silence settle in before she decided on a reply. "Yeah," she said rather quickly, bracing herself for the loud noises to be emitted from the phone. 

Squeals of delight came over the line as her eyebrows knitted together in confusion. 

"What, you're not mad at me?" Rose questioned. 

"Of course not, you two have been dancing around each other for months now! M' happy for you!"

"Even if he's a 900 year old alien?"

"Rose, I don't care if he grows another head, as long as he makes you happy."

"Don't say that cause you're going to regret it when he's got two mouths to rattle on with."

"Oh, speaking of mouths, how's is it? He a good kisser or..."

"Mum!" 

It was only coincidence when the Doctor came strolling into the kitchen in just pants and a shirt. 

"Good mornin' Rose," he mumbled, his morning voice low and gruff in her ear. His teeth nibbled at her earlobe, Rose letting out a squeak at the sudden contact. 

"Oi, is that him?" Jackie shouted into her other ear.

"Yes, mum," Rose sighed. 

"Give the phone to him, we need to talk."

"Mum, he just got-"

"Give it to him!" 

Rose held the mobile up to him. 

"That your mum?" he murmured, resting his chin on her shoulder and plucking the phone from her hand. 

She nodded. Her arms reached into the cupboard and grabbed two mugs. The Doctor padded in the opposite direction. He stiffened after a moment of her talking as he let out a curt, "Yes, m'am."

He gave Rose her mobile back, swallowing hard and shooting her a nervous smile. 

"Well, I'm knackerd, Rose. I'm going to bed," Jackie said nonchalantly. 

"Mum, what did you tell him? He's about as stiff as a board."

"I love you, Rose. Goodnight!"

"Mum! I-"

Rose sighed in frustration as the line went dead. "What did she tell ya?" she asked, turning to face him. 

"Well," he started, "she told me she was happy for us." He sucked in an uneasy breath through his teeth. "And if I ever so much as even look at you wrong that she'll slap me into my 'next face' obviously referring a new regeneration."

Rose snorted with laughter. "And you're scared of her?" 

"Last time she slapped me I felt it for days. I almost did regenerate, heard the ringing in my ears and everything," he whined, running his hand through his hair. 

She sighed in amusement as she dropped tea bags into their mugs. "Get out the milk, would you?" she mumbled.

A shiver went down her spine. The chill of the air was getting to her, so she naturally gravitated toward the Doctor and pressed her body to his. 

"I wish I could regenerate, like you," she whispered. Her head buried into his bare shoulder, inhaling his deep, masculine sent. 

"Why's that?" He ducked down into the fridge. 

"Maybe I could change, you know like you. Get a new body, one without all this." She was a near whisper, her hands motioning around the marks on her chest. 

He turned to face her, the carton of milk in his hand. "Rose Tyler," the Doctor said, "I wouldn't have you any other way, I promise."

Rose glanced down to the floor and bit her lip. "I would," she muttered. 

His grip found her shoulders as he stared into her eyes with dead conviction. "You are beautiful, I will prove that." The Doctor's hands found her face and thumbed at her cheek. "I love you," he told her. 

Their lips met in a chaste kiss, pulling away after a quick moment. "C'mon let's do our tea and get going. Big day ahead," he informed, swiftly running through his words. 

Rose giggled at his change of tone and leaned forward to press a peck to the corner of his mouth. "I love you too," she said against his skin. 

-

The control room was abuzz with activity as Rose's pinstriped Doctor danced around the consul. He had a grin plastered across his face as he popped from button to button, making a show of his "skillful" flight methods. 

She arrived in the room dressed in a stripped turtle neck jumper and overall shorts. Her hair was in an immaculate double plait on the back of her head complete with full pink lips and long cascading eyelashes. 

"How do I look?" she asked. She smiled at him with her tongue poking from her teeth. 

"Absolutely stunning!" he said over the whirl of the TARDIS. The center column churned away as he slammed down the final lever. The ship landed with a thud and the Doctor shot her an excited glance. 

Rose stepped down onto the grating next to him. Her fingers laced through his and he pulled her to the door. 

"You ready?" he questioned. 

"Of course!" she replied. 

Out the front door they went, straight into thick, tropical foliage. Dense vines hung down from the tall canopy of blue-green trees. Lush violet grass tickled Rose's ankles as it seemed to glow whenever she stepped on it. Soft lights were twinkled amid the branches, illuminating the Doctor's cheekbones and casting long shadows down his excited face. 

Even in the bright dusk, the jungle just seemed to ignite the dark. Every creature, every plant just shined. The red moon cast shining beans through the trees, a purple-blue sly blanketing the view. 

She let out an awed gasp. Her eyes danced around the scene, drinking in every sense. Her sense of touch, though, was quite irritated by the intense humidity of the environment. The jumper started to feel ridiculous. 

"Why didn't you tell me we were going to the bloody jungle?" Rose said. 

"I tried landing us on the other end of the planet. It seems as if the TARDIS has better ideas," he replied, shedding his suit jacket leaving him down to just an Oxford and trousers. The Doctor reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out his sonic and a long knife, a machete perhaps. He smirked at Rose. His eyebrows waggled at her and he pulled his sleeves up to his elbows.

She bit her lip. Her glance rolled over him with appreciative eyes. 

"You look like that Indiana Jones bloke," she remarked. "A sexy Indiana Jones. I like it." 

"So you admit I'm sexy then?" he said. 

A light pink blush spread across her cheeks. She lowered her head and tried not to laugh at the triumphant look he had on his face. 

"C'mon," he said, a smirk still playing on his lips. 

He abandoned his suit coat at the TARDIS doors, finding the prospect of the unknown jungle too exciting to waste anytime. 

The Doctor swung his knife around gleefully. He slashed at the foliage with great haste. "You know I did a little bit of this in Mesoamerica, just me it was. Ran into that nasty bloke Cortez and his army. They were quite unpleasant, all upset cause they thought the English had gotten there before them. I just wanted to study a particular leopard, he'd scratched the outside of the TARDIS a little while back and well I-" 

"Doctor," Rose gasped. 

"What? Was I rambling again? I'm sorry I tend to-" 

"Doctor!" More urgently this time. 

"What?! Oh!"

His face rounded into a wide "O" shape as they came to a very large clearing in the woods. 

The ground had transitioned to a pale lilac, becoming hard under Rose's boots. She looked down to see it was a smooth, marble-like surface that gleamed under the moon. Neon green ferns grew from the cracks. They curled and uncurled in the wind. The sheet of smooth rock continued for miles, only stopping to bevel at the steps of what could be described as a temple. 

The building stood perched on the horizon, shining in iridescence against the purple sky. It seemed to be alight with activity as faint humanoid outlines milled in and out of the front entrance. 

"Fancy a visit to the temple of Asteria, Rose Tyler?" he inquired, holding out his arm. She took it with a wide smile. They set a tiny step onto the marble clearing. 

Rose's foot started to slip. Apparently her boots didn't have very much traction as she wobbled, leaning into the Doctor to steady herself. 

He, however, was perfectly balanced, shooting her a triumphant smile. "Rubber soles," he informed, bouncing on his toes in demonstration. 

She rolled her eyes but the affectionate grin stayed on her face. 

"You and your bloody rubber soles," she said. 

"They're quite practical Ms. Tyler, especially now that you're clinging onto my shirt."

"I wouldn't say I'm 'clinging'"

"Oh I'll show you clinging."

With that he lifted Rose off her feet and into his arms bridal style. She squealed in delight, giggling with hands hooked around his neck. 

Under the light pink tinge, his eyes shined. They glittered, drunken with an unruly concoction of love and adoration. His smile curled up underneath a crinkled nose and his crow's feet became prominent in his joy. A smattering of freckles dotted his rose colored cheeks. Rose couldn't help but think he was the most beautiful thing in the entire universe. 

The Doctor increased his pace to a full on sprint, the wind pushing back his unruly hair. 

"The temple of Asteria, a beautiful crystalline building made out of sparkling angel aurora quartz on the interior. This is home to the Asterians, a beautiful race of humanoids, noted for their "stardust skin" as its famously known across the galaxy. They're obsessed with stars and constellations and the planets, absolute genius astronomers. I worked with an Asterian once, we were trying to locate a lost constellation." His voice was running as fast as he his feet, not even pausing for a breath. 

Rose stared back up at him. She absorbed every word he said as the landscape rushed by. 

"Halt!" came a loud booming voice from somewhere ahead of them. 

"That's never a good phrase," he muttered, flicking his eyes up to meet the owners of said voice. 

Standing nearly three meters tall were a group of humanoid creatures. They stood rigid, skinny and angular figures colored pure white from head to toe, save the smattering of pink marks on their shoulders. Their black robes glittered as long necks peaked just above the popped collars. Each face was square and insanely symmetrical. Their eyes gazed with an ethereal sense of knowing. The only difference among the group a scar that sat between their perfect eyebrows. The foremost figure had a crescent moon. The one adjacent to him, a star. 

"Good evening," crescent moon said, "we mean not to disturb you, but running on the Crystalline Flat is not permitted.

The Doctor stared at them with confusion. "No running?" he asked, as if he was a small child getting yelled at by a lifeguard at the pool. 

"Yes, that is all that we ask, and you may be on your way. It is extremely dangerous as the Flat is resistant to most that are not adapted to it." crescent moon replied with an even expression. 

"Ah, yes I understand. Just looking out for our safety that's all." He beamed and looked down at Rose. 

"We could guide you to the Temple, if that's where you're looking to go," the alien offered. "It is the final day of Festival of Light." 

"Of course!" Rose said from her silence. "I'd love to see the Festival of Light!" 

The Doctor paused, pretending to debate for a moment. One look at her smile and the internal argument had been settled. 

"Onward, to the Festival of Light!" he said. 

-

They arrived at temple after a good twenty minutes of the Doctor giving a lecture on the history of the Asterian natives. 

"Oh and one last thing. They require you to change into their Luna robes before entering the temple," he informed, setting Rose on the ground as they approached the stairs. 

Her eyes widened. 

"You don't mean sleeveless black things they're wearing, do you?" she said. 

"Of course I mean those. Why, what's the matter?" he replied. 

"Oh, s'nothing, just my shoulders..." 

A booming voice interrupted their conversation. "The changing stations are to the right. Please leave your shoes and clothes in one of our safety locked cupboards. Your robes will be given to you before entering." 

The Doctor and Rose were thus ushered into a crowd of people milling into a small doorway and handed a robe. She rushed in and changed as quickly as possible. Tossing her clothes in a bin, she pushed her way into the temple, not waiting for the  Doctor. 

Moments later he stepped out in his full, glittering glory. The robe suited him. Its high collar accented his rather long neck. His biceps were on full display as he puffed his chest out in an unintentional show of dominance. In that moment, his Time Lord nature shined in those impossibly old eyes. 

With his beaming smirk, the alien melted away from him. 

"Rose Tyler," he gasped, searching up and down her body. "You're so gorgeous! Lovely! Molte bene!" 

Rose rubbed over her bare shoulders. She felt the uneven skin and the exposed scars on her skin and shuddered.

The Doctor moved towards her and put calloused hands on her shoulders. "You're beautiful, love. I promise," he whispered. 

"And now," he said loudly, turning on his bare heels, "the temple of Asteria." 

Her arm linked through his as he guided her around the crystal room. The high ceilings echoed the mixed chatter of its guests. Iridescent crystal sculptures stood proud throughout the space while a gigantic fountain occupied the center. The Asterian guards towered over every being. 

"Halt!" shouted a voice for the second time that day. 

The Doctor rolled his eyes and turned towards the sound. "Here we go again," he muttered. "Can't ever enjoy anything, can we?"

"Obviously not," Rose scoffed. 

"You! The girl! Come here!" commanded an Asterian guard. The innocent chatter stopped and all eyes were on the pair. 

She swallowed the lump in her throat and took a hesitant step forward. The Doctor moved to follow her.

"No! Just the girl!" The Asterian glared at him with threatening golden eyes. 

As Rose walked closer, the strangest thing happened. The aliens cleared a path for her as the guard was lowered his body to the floor. Their pure white form curled into a bow until she stopped about a meter from them. 

"It is you," they whispered in a voice of pure awe, "the child with the Stardust Skin."

A gasp spread through the crowd. She even heard the Doctor's faint intake of breath. The beings lowered themselves into a bow, copying the Asterian kneeling before her. 

"What?" she questioned. 

"Long ago," the alien shook, "there was a prophecy told that a child not of the Asterians would come with the blessings of our skin. You, are that child, the daughter of the stars who has come on the Festival of the Light to bless us with her presence. You bare the rose colored blemishes of our ancestors." 

Rose was at a loss for words. She didn't know what to say, what to do. Her feet seemed stuck to the ground as all the Asterians stood up from their position. 

A low bellowing tone sounded through the room. Higher notes joined in. They blended together and then moved together in an angelic song. It seemed as if it was a well known hymn as their actions yet again spread through the crowd. They all sang out in the most beautiful, clear voices, each creature knowing their parts. 

She didn't know why but she started to cry. The notion of their praise at something she had hated for years, it was overwhelming. For the first time in her life, those scars and marks that had plagued her self loathing were a source of great pride. She felt beautiful. 

As the song reached its climax a group of Asterians descended from a staircase in the corner of the room. They carried a gleaming white cloth and a crown the seemed to be made out of starlight. It was adorned with seven raw gems, each of a pale lilac color. 

The song faded in the low monotonous note from the beginning of the song. The Asterians approached her and gave a quick bow before wrapping the sparkling cloth around her shoulders. Rose's stayed completely still. They placed the crystalline circlet upon her head and fell to her feet. 

"Welcome to the light, daughter of the stars. Long have we awaited you," said the foremost alien of the group. 

"Thank you," was all she could choke out. 

-

Throughout the night, she met many Asterians and aliens alike. They greeted her with a respect that seemed a little ridiculous for Dame Rose of the Powell Estate. She even met the high priestess of the temple, who had admired her skin for nearly half an hour. The Doctor stayed latched by herself the entire time. He was happy to be her arm candy. In fact he was proud, beaming at everyone as if to say _This is my lover, my beautiful goddess of the stars._

When they ended the night in his bedroom, the Doctor took his time to admire the blemishes on her back. He kissed ever single mark with gentle lips, removing her godly white cloth as he went. The crown of stars lie at the foot of the bed, glowing softly in the dark.

"The TARDIS didn't land there on accident, did it?" she mumbled. 

They were pressed up against each other, his lips still on her back. 

"No," he said. "Does that even matter?"

There was a silence in the ship. His hands were fiddling idly at the strings of her robe while his breath ghosted over her neck. 

"Thank you," Rose whispered, "you made me feel beautiful." 

"You are a certified goddess of the stars. Think of that when you see your scars."

The quiet returned and just as she thought he'd dozed off he breathed out a happy sigh. 

"You are so beautiful," he said before they both fell in a peaceful sleep. 


End file.
